As the full book
title suggests, the authors of Blur: How
to Know What’s True In the Age of Information Overload, are hoping to
convey to news consumers and those looking to pursue jobs in varied
journalistic fields how to better understand and evaluate the news stories
presented to them. Specifically, in chapters 4 and 5, they focus on the
completeness of stories told and from where the information was obtained
(sources). However, we must first ask how we can trust these two with guiding
our understanding of how to view the news.
Both
Bill Kovach and Tom Rosesntiel have an overwhelmingly impressive resume. They
have worked on very respected newspapers staffs, The New York Times and Los
Angeles Times, respectively, both of whose careers there lasted over a decade;
proving they have a valuable insight into how storytelling takes place. Several
notable institutions have recognized each of their individual work. Kovach’s
accolades include: Goldsmith Career Award for Excellence in Journalism in 2000,
four Pulitzer Prizes on projects for which he supervised as an editor, and the
Sigma Delta Chi Award for contribution to journalism research in 2000 to name a
few. Rosenstiel has a list just as impressive racking up the Sigma Delta Chi
Award for Journalism Research not just once but four times. All these honors
are not only nice to brag about at a work party, but also prove that these
writers are well respected among their peers and have made great contributions
to their field.
In
the market of news today, where there is a constant bombardment of news being
thrown at consumers via every outlet possible, including: social media, cable
news broadcasts, newspapers, etc., journalists have become a solitary beacon of
light the public can turn to gain information on current events and what to
gain from them. Kovach and Rosenstiel are the best of the best to help the
public interpret the news stories, evidence, and outcomes presented to them.
Their aim in these chapters and more so, the book as a whole is to help the average
media consumer to have a better understanding of what story is being presented
to them, how credible it is, and whether the conclusions being drawn are of
relevance. The authors do an excellent job of laying out an easy to follow
outline on how to know what is true and what is not, a responsibility now taken
on by individuals to become an informed citizen.
Most
of the reviews on this book have been nothing but positive. If one looks on the
front and back cover alone they see uses of similar words such as “important,
useful, guidebook, practical, intelligent”, by credible sources all of which suggest that this book
is helpful in educating its readers and advancing their knowledge on the
subject to beyond what it was
before they read it. However, one review did say that although the book
is brilliant, one thing the authors vastly overlooked was copy editing. This created a
major distraction from the concepts within, “most journalism professors would applaud
the effort, but give the authors an automatic F”.
In
all, these chapters and this book are a valuable resource for the everyday
citizen, created by two of the most knowledgeable in the field.
Prendergast, C. (2011, August, 19). Book Review: Blur: How to Know What's True in the Age of Information Overload. retrieved 2013, September 17, from The Sonoran Chronicle Web Site: http://sonoranchronicle.com/2011/08/19/book-review-blur-how-to-know-whats-true-in-the-age-of-information-overload/
About: Tom Rosenstiel. (n.d) retrieved 2013, September 17, from American Press Institute Web Site: http://www.americanpressinstitute.org/About/Staff-Directory/Tom-Rosenstiel.aspx
Journalist Profile: Bill Kovach. (n.d) retrieved 2013, September 17, from The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists Web Site: http://www.icij.org/journalists/bill-kovach
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